Here's Liammina!

Liam looks good with long hair eh? This is what Liam and I did this week as he was home sick. I know he looks like he was having a great time but let me tell you the virus he had made him so irritable and feverish. A nasty combination!

So while I was a shut in at home we played with lots of the toys, made some Halloween decorations, watched some dvds from the library - the great thing about the libraries here is that you can request relatively new movies so instead of renting it's freeeeeeee, and had a good love/hate relationship with one another (Example: play together for about 15 minutes then realize that we were sick of each other so ignored one another for 5 minutes then back together again). Oh the fun of being a stay-at-home mom!

Among other things we had a brief visit from Uncle Cam last week, as he was doing some work out at Manning Park, so he joined us for dinner one night. He spent some time with Liam and even got him all ready for bed.

Uncle Cam and Liam - Book Buddies

Liam explaining to Uncle Cam that the correct way to read a book is upside down.

While we have been home Liam has seriously gotten addicted to tv. I hate to admit that but he loves his cartoons. We have set some groundrules with how long he watched for and that he needs to be sitting on his double pull out couch (which is a good distance away from the tv). The following photo is a great representation of a typical Liam tv moment - notice the apple juice next to him along side the bowl full of goldfish crackers...I am already imagining this 20 years from now but replace cartoons with hockey, juice with a beer and the crackers with...the same.

MOM!!! Out of the way Dora and Boots are about to find the missing cookies!!!

Have a ghostly week everyone!

Love,

Matt, Mo and Liam

Sleepless in Seattle

Finally the photos downloaded onto blogspot...sometimes this website drives me CRAZYYYY!

Last weekend, Matt, Liam and I all headed down to Seattle to partake in Matt's Residents Retreat. Unfortunately, the weather was less than wonderful (I've never been so whiteknuckled driving on the highway but when you can't see the car in front of you because of rain it's scary.) so it kiboshed our plans to go to the Six Flags/Enchanted Village Amusement park but we filled in time with many other fun activities.

Liam chillin' in the hotel room.

On Sunday when we arrived ,with Chauntille and Sian entertaining Liam in the backseat, we met up with the rest of the residents and headed out to lunch at a very nice Italian restaurant. Liam passed the time playing drums with the breadsticks and we actually got a chance to talk with some of the residents and their partners. It is pretty exciting to know this new crop of residents are keeping up the baby count as two more are due this coming year!!

As the others headed on The Underground Tour of Seattle that afternoon - Matt, Liam and I headed out on the road to visit my cousin Kim, her hubby Luke and their baby due in less than 2 weeks out in Covington (approx. 45 minutes south of Seattle). It was a great time driving out to a place you've never been and I must say the landscape of Seattle is pretty nice.

Kim and Luke's place in Covington is wonderful with all the amazing work the two of them have put into the place over the last two years. I loved seeing my cousin and her big belly ready to pop. Can you tell I"m excited about other people having babies!!!! We spent an awesome afternoon catching up and I love the fact that Liam has another new cousin coming up. Kimand Luke thanks for your wondeful hospitality and we can not wait to meet the new baby. Maybe Liam and new baby can also be best buds!!!

Kim, Liam and I

Apres our afternoon in Covington we headed back into Seattle to meet up with the gang for dinner at a Chinese Bistro called P.F. Chang's. Liam had a crazy napping schedule Sunday so I wasn't sure how he would be in a crowded restaurant but little Budda stuck again. Liam had a fantastic time being passed from resident to resident and he made some new friends...the servers and kitchen staff. Liam spent most of the evening standing on my hands trying to peek into the glass kitchen only to be entertained by servers who were playing peek-a-boo with him through the glass. At one point Liam was having such a good time jumping up and down his pants fell off...yep you read it correctly his pants fell off. Only Liam...

Liam and his new friend

Hey where did you guys go the parties just starting!

The Gang

The next morning we visited the standard Pike Market as the group split up to see the Dead Sea Scrolls at the museum, Experience Music Project, shopping at the Premium Outlets, we headed off with Amy to see the Science Fiction Exhibit. Very cool especially if you like seeing the original costumes and set from famous sci-fi movies like Aliens, ET, Star Trek, etc.

Finally on our way home we stopped at the Premium Outlets in Tulipa (30 min north of Seattle) and had a grand ole time. The shops are great and it is a well laid out outlet so next time you visit we'll have to go!!!!

Sorry it the end of the week and I"m just updating. I promise I will do better!

Love,

Mo, Matt and Liam

20lb turkey plus a 25+lb boy equals trouble!

Hi everyone I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving...we do have so much to be thankful for! :) We hosted a turkey dinner this year with some of Matt's collegues and their partners. We had a nice dinner for 8 - Sian and Derek, Chauntille and Justin, and Paul and Joni...actually we had dinner with 10 if you include Liam and Paul and Joni's baby due in February! I was hoping to get a photo of all of them together but hey I was worrying about cooking a super large turkey, keeping track of a crazy boy monster, and my usual type A craziness for anyone that knows me I have. However in the end it all worked out and we sat down at 7 for quite the feast.

Liam and I trying to clean the house before our guests arrived.

Derek and Sian relaxing after eating the 20lb turkey!

On Thanksgiving Monday Matt, Liam and I needed to work off some serious turkey weight so we did our typical hike up Teapot Hill. Once again a beautiful day and Liam got some good exercise riding on Matt's back.

I know you see this photo a lot of Liam in his backpack but whatever he looks cute in it.

Since then we have been slowly getting back to normal. Yet we have had some setbacks:
#1) Liam has decided one nap is good enough for him so trying to adjust his schedule to this new transition has made for some stressful days with someone not napping long enough making the late afternoon quite crankiful...not a word but you can only imagine.

My mom's lying I'm NEVER cranky!!

#2) Oh yeah Liam has started to put 10 - 12 steps together so we basically have this Frankenstein child lumbering around trying to avoid table corners, miscellanous toys scattered like land mines in his path and the constant reaching for the next set of legs to hang on to. I may not sound too excited by it but I am. However other parents told me not to wish for walking too early because life changes after that...yep it sure has...for the better of course!!

Nighty nighty everyone!

We are off to Seattle this weekend for Matt's Resident Retreat where we will be taking part in team building exercises like going to the outlet malls to shop and of course going to six flags amusement park. Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

See you next week!

Monique, Matt and Liam

More cute or less cute?

I don't know what brought on this insanity this sunny Wednesday afternoon but Matt came home early from work and simply stated, "It's time to give Liam a haircut." Now I know we have discussed this in the past and even made a deal with Sheila and Har to shave Liam and Gavin's heads when they both turned one...but we chickened I'll admit it. So now here we are a few days after Liam turned 13 months and well we shaved his head. For most of you that know Liam is usually is a big ball of sunshine but let me tell you that little Charlie Brown cloud was over his head as we shaved his head. I really have never seen him so upset with Matt and I...I almost yelled stop and Liam would have been walking around with a mullet. Since we do live in the 'Wack he would have fit in well with part of the population here but Matt kept going until the job was done.

My initial feelings of horror have been replaced with I can get used to his hair and it was always grow back. I just liked his baby fine hairs and how his double swirl made a Ed Grimly cow lick on top. However, the hairs are gone and we now have a toddler no longer a baby. Let us know what you think because as the winter approaches I can make sure he wears a hat all the time! Kidding...kind of. Seriously let us know what you think.

Now don't be shocked...

Just Kidding! This is Liam's buddy Samuel showing off his new sitting skills!

Liam's happy little self minutes before the razor came on. Let's just say this smile didn't last very long.

Finished product. Liam drinking a well deserved bottle of milk for a job well done.

Oh thought I would add a photo of our crazy garden. Who knew those little itty bitty plants would turn into this!!

Thanks for listening everyone it has been a trying afternoon. :)

Love,

Mo, Liam and Matt